Researchers To Study Mixed Metals Mining Contamination On Native American Populations.

reports that the newly-established Superfund Research Center at the University of New Mexico hopes to “measure the effects of mixed metals and uranium waste exposure on Native American populations living in close proximity to abandoned mines, and better understand how these toxins spread through the environment.” The piece notes that there are 4,000 abandoned uranium mines and 160,000 abandoned hard rock mines throughout the West with 600,000 Native Americans living within six miles of those sites. The research is funded by a five-year, $1.2 million per year grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. https://www.abqjournal.com/1129580/researchers-to-measure-mixed-metals-mining-contamination-on-native-americans.html

More Teens Identify As Transgender Or Gender Nonconforming Than Previously Believed, Study Suggests.

reports a new study published in Pediatrics analyzed almost 81,000 students in ninth and 11th grade and found that nearly 2,200, or nearly three percent, identified as transgender or gender nonconforming. The study found that these children reported worse mental and physical health than other kids, echoing results seen in previous research. The AP adds that an “American Academy of Pediatrics policy...says pediatricians should use gender-neutral terms and encourage teens to feel comfortable talking ‘about their emerging sexual identities.’” https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/not-just-boy-and-girl-more-teens-identify-as-transgender/2018/02/04/0c2df5da-09f8-11e8-998c-96deb18cca19_story.html?utm_term=.65e6307713dc

Plastic Chemical Linked To Male Infertility Found In Most Teenagers.

reports that 86 percent of teenagers have traces of Bisphenol A, a plastics chemical linked to reduced fertility in men, according to a new study. The study involved 94 students at Devon schools who were instructed to limit their exposure to plastics for a week. Overall, they did not see a drop in their recorded levels. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/02/04/plastic-chemical-linked-male-infertility-majority-teenagers/

Sleep for Weight Loss Can sleeping more make patients healthier?

https://www.medpagetoday.com/primarycare/dietnutrition/70951?xid=NL_breakingnews_2018-02-05&eun=g721819d0r&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MorningBreak_020518&utm_term=Morning%20Break%20-%20Active%20Users%20-%20180%20days

Exposure Of Explants Of Human Fetal Ovaries To Ibuprofen For Short Periods May Be Associated With A Sharp Decrease In Germ Cells,

“Exposure of explants of human fetal ovaries to ibuprofen for short periods is associated with a sharp decrease in the number of germ cells,” researchers found. The study authors wrote, “The findings raise ‘concern about ibuprofen consumption by pregnant women during the fetal ovarian organogenesis period and a subsequent risk for the establishment of the follicular reserve.’” The findings were published online in Human Reproduction. https://academic.oup.com/humrep/advance-article/doi/10.1093/humrep/dex383/4831088

Vitamin D3 Supplements May Be Beneficial For Patients With Or At Risk For Heart Disease,

contributor David DiSalvo writes that research published in the International Journal of Nanomedicine suggests vitamin D3 supplements may be beneficial for individuals “at risk for or already have heart disease.” Cardiovascular Business (1/31, Slachta) reports that investigators “found vitamin D3 to be a powerful stimulator of nitric oxide, which is key in regulating blood flow and preventing the formation of clots.” Additionally, “the vitamin...appeared to significantly reduce the level of oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system.” http://www.cardiovascularbusiness.com/topics/acute-coronary-syndrome/high-doses-vitamin-d-shown-restore-cardiovascular-system-post-heart-attack

Average American Could Lose Nearly Six Pounds Of Fat Per Year By Standing Six Hours Each Day

reports a new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology suggests that if Americans, who sit an average of more than seven hours each day, were to stand for six of those hours, the average person “would burn an additional 54 calories a day.” This, researchers found, “could translate into a loss of about 5.5 pounds of body fat per year” for the average American, excluding diet changes and extraneous exercise. http://www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-standing-burns-calories-20180131-story.html